The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ilex crenata and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘PIIIC-I’. ‘PIIIC-I’ is a new cultivar of holly grown for use as a landscape plant.
The new cultivar of Ilex arose from a breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Watkinsville, Ga. ‘PIIIC-I’ originated as a seedling from seed derived from open pollination of Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ (not patented). The male parentage is therefore unkown. ‘PIIIC-I’ was selected as a single unique plant in summer of 2009 from amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by semi-hardwood stem cuttings by one of the Inventors in Watkinsville, Ga. in 2013. Asexual propagation by semi-hardwood stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.